Anchor shoe for posts



July 20, 1965 N. STEFAN ANCHOR SHOE FOR POSTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan.- 12, 1961 INVENTOR IV/c/m/as S/efan BY awu ATTORNEY In H ML A" WM July 20, 1965 N. STEFAN ANCHOR SHOE FOR POSTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 12, 1961 INVENTOR M'cho/as .Sfefan United States Patent 3,195,696 ANCHOR SHOE FOR POSTS Nicholas Stefan, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Anchor Post Products, Inc., Baltimore, Md., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Jan. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 82,303 1 Claim. (Cl. 189-605) This invention relates generally to fences, and more particularly it pertains to an anchor shoe for line posts utilized in holding up fence structure. Although this invention is illustrated in connection with line posts, it can readily be adapted to hold any member of any particular shape in a desired position.

Driven line posts for fences have been found to be more economical than posts set in concrete. Moreover, driven posts have the advantage of requiring less disruption of lawns and shrubbery and can be set in almost any kind of weather and type of soil. To provide a wide footing, supplementary anchors are used and these, too, are of the stake or driven type.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an anchor device of sheet metal construction for line posts which can be assembled by driving and which fixes and displays the holding surfaces of its stakes in a position for most eliective engagement with the ground and with the post.

Another object of this invention is to provide an anchor shoe for securing anchor stakes to a line post for a fence structure and for guiding their installation to a desired angular position.

And yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved assembly clamp for the footing anchors of metallic posts which is easily and economically fabricated from a single metal stamping.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent and understood from the following detailed specification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of an anchored driven fence post arrangement incorporating the features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the post arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, greatly enlarged, of the anchor shoe used in the post arrangement of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a layout for a metal stamping blank from which the anchor shoe of FIG. 3 is formed;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of the area of the anchor shoe of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a cross section taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a tubular metallic line post 10 for supporting a fence 12 of metal mesh fabric or the like. It is to be pointed out that the post 10 can be of any desired cross section, in addition to tubular, such as of I section or H section to fit the design conditions. In addition, the metal mesh fabric can be positioned transversely to the angle bar stakes 16 and 18 or parallel to the stakes as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The post 10 is driven into the ground 14 and rigidly held in position by the pair of pointed structural angle bar stakes 16 and 18 which are driven oppositely into the ground at a right angle to each other and with each bearing respectively against opposite sides of the post 10.

A pressed steel anchor shoe 21 is provided to encompass and clamp the pair of stakes 16 and 18 to the post 10 and to aid in guiding them into the earth 14 at the ice best relative angle and face presentation for good footing.

It is to be noted that although the anchor shoe 20 is illustrated in conjunction with holding fence post structure, the invention can readily be adapted to holding other types of posts or poles driven at any angle to the vertical.

This anchor shoe 20, shown in detail in FIG. 3, is folded up from a flat steel stamping blank 22 as shown best in FIG. 4. The blank 22 consists of two halves or two spaced sections 24 and 26- joined by a narrow strip 28. Each blank half or section 24 and 26 is cut to provide a pair of spaced generally V-shaped notches 3t and 32.

These notches 30 and 32 in each blank half or section 24 or 26 are inverted with respect to each other and are longitudinally as well as transversely spaced one from the other. The inner side of each notch 30 and 32 on each blank half 24 and 26 is elongated and extended to form an ear 34 having an arcuate edge 35. A square :bolt hole 38 is punched near each end :of the blank 22 on its longitudinal center line.

When the blank 22 is formed with right angle bends on the dotted fold line F., the three-sided box-shaped anchor shoe 20 depicted in FIG. 3 is obtained. It will be noted that the V-shaped notches 30' now open toward the inside of the anchor shoe 20. With the anchor shoe 20 positioned around the driven post 10 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a nutted bolt 40 is loosely assembled through the square holes 38.

As best shown in FIG. 6, the previously mentioned arcuate edges 36 of the halves 24 and 26 line-contact the post 10 at four equally spaced arcs Q, Q, R, R, with the diametrically opposing pair R, R at a lower level than the other pair Q, Q.

The angle bar stakes 16 and 18 are now inserted through the V-notches 30 and 32 of the anchor shoe 20 with their inside faces toward the post 10 as best shown in FIG. 5 and driven into the ground. When the driving of the post 10 is completed, the bolt 40 is tightened to hold the stakes 16 and 18 with their edges in spaced contact at points O, 0' and P, P, respectively, with the surface of post 10. Such widely spaced line contacts and points give great stability to the assembly of line post 10, anchor shoe 20 and anchor stakes 16 and 18.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claim the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

A ground anchored structural device for rigidly holding a structural member having a circular cross section in a fixed position by means of a pair of diagonally positioned stakes, said device including two base channel shaped members and a narrow strip integrally joining one end of each of said channel shaped members together in spaced relationship and having an aperture in the opposite ends of said channel shaped members, with each said channel shaped member having a web and a pair of flanges joined thereto, each said channel shaped member having its pair of flanges positioned inwardly of said web and parallel with each other, with each said flange including a V-shaped notch and an ear, each said ear having an edge of arcuate shape for forming an edge contact with said circular cross section structural member and with each said edge of arcuate shape being positioned between its respective V-shaped notch and an end of its respective channel, a pair of diagonally positioned stakes, said stakes corresponding in shape "P U V to-said V-shaped notches, with said V-shaped notches V-notches on each of thevopposite sides of said structural member, in opposite diagonal directions, and bolt means for extending through said apertures in said channel shaped members for tightening the edge contacts of the ears of said channelmembers against said structural member as well as edge contacts of said stakes against said structural member and said device.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Lally 2092.S Bailey 18930.5 Harp 50482 Greene 18930.5 -Geer 20'92.5 Clatfelter 189-305 10 HENRY c. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner. CORNELIUS D. ANGEL, Examiner. V 

